Peanuts also called groundnuts, are enjoyed by a huge portion of the human race. The peanuts is thought to have originated from South America. Spanish explorers, who first encountered peanuts in South America, found them to be an excellent source of nutrition for their voyages. They then brought some back to Europe. The Europeans put the peanuts to additional uses, even as a substitute for coffee beans.
Later, the Portuguese introduce peanuts to Africa. There peanuts were quickly recognized as a valuable food source that would grow in soil too barren to sustained other crops. In fact, the peanuts crop actually enriched the poor soil with much needed nitrogen.
In the time, however, many people thought of peanuts as a food for the poor this perception partly explains why American farmers of the day did not cultivate peanuts extensively for human consumption.
But by 1903, pioneering American agricultural chemist George Washington Carver had begun research into new uses for the peanut plant, he eventually developed more than 300 products from peanuts. Including beverages, cosmetics, dyes, medicine, laundry soap, insecticides and printer's ink.
It was at this point that Carver encouraged local farmers to break their practice of cultivating only cotton, which was depleting the soil, and to alternate the crop of peanuts. At the time, the boll weevil was devastating cotton crops, promoting many farmers to follow Carver's advice.
The Wonders of Peanuts
The food value of peanuts is impressive, some of the many benefits of the crop "peanuts" are listed below.
* Rich in Energy: Peanuts contains vitamin, minerals, nutrients, antioxidants, and thus are very rich in energy supply to the body.
* Cholesterol: Peanuts lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol in the body.
* Growth: Peanuts are rich in proteins, with a good supply of amino acids in it , it work effectively in growth and development.
* Stomach Cancer: Peanuts contained polyphenolic anti oxidants, and P-coumaric acids which has the ability to reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
* Heart Disease: Heart, nerves, Alzheimers diseases and infections are prevented because of the presence of polyphenolic, Anti oxidants, and Resveratrol in peanuts.
* Stroke: Peanuts reduces stroke due to the present of Resveratrol and Anti oxidants this cause an increase in the production of nitric acids that will reduce such effect in the body.
* Anti oxidants: Peanuts contains antioxidants in a high concentration, this becomes more active when peanuts are boiled.
* Protect Skin: The present of vitamin E in peanuts helps in the maintainance of cell's integrity and mucous membrane, thereby keeping the skin free from radicals.
* B-Complex: Peanuts contains B-complex, and vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, pantotheric acids etc which are functional elements for the body.
* Minerals: It contains potassium, manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, and zinc all of which play an important role in many different body functions.
* Gall Stones: Just an ounce of peanuts or it butter each week can save you from gall stones.
* Low Risk of Weight Gain: Especially in women who eat peanuts or it butter are less likely to be susceptible to obesity.
* Colon Cancer Prevention: Peanuts prevents colon cancer especially in women, eating at least 2 spoons of peanuts butter can helps reduce this effects.
* Helps in Infertility: If taken before and during early pregnancy, the folic acids present in peanuts lowers the risk of baby being born with serious neural defects.
* Regulates Blood Sugar: The present of manganese in peanut helps to lower the effect of blood sugar by assisting in calcium absorption, fat, and carbohydrates metabolism and sugar level regulation in the blood.
* Fight Depression: Low serotonin levels leads to depression, tryptophan in peanuts increases the release of this chemical and as such helps in fighting depression.
Skin Benefits.
* The anti inflammatory properties of peanuts treat skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema in the skin.
* The fatty acids of peanuts helps in stress management and mood swing to prevent various skin disorders like wrinkles, fine lines and dullness.
* Fiber contents of peanuts helps in the elimination of toxins and waste out from the skin.
* The magnesium present in peanuts calms our nerves, muscles, and blood vessels which in turn provides better blood flow to the skin.
* The present of vitamin E in peanuts defends our skin cells against the damage of oxidation stress and protects the skin against UV rays.
* Beta carotene found in peanuts is very critical for skin health.
* There is a significant amount of vitamin C in peanuts, and this helps in the production of collagen to sustain tendons, skin and cartilage.
* Peanuts are packed with Omega 3 fatty acids which protects our skin against inflammation, skin eruption, squamous skin cancer and dry and scaly skin.
* Peanuts are very helpful in the treatment of skin problems like pustules, skin rashes and rosacea.
* Application of the natural peanuts butter on the face clears away dirt and impurities to usher in a healthy looking skin.
Benefits For The Hair.
Peanuts contains many nutrients that are hair friendly, which in effects is beneficial in the maintenance of a healthy hair, there is a high level contents of omega 3 fatty acids in peanuts which strengthens scalp health and hair follicles to promotes hair growth.
Peanuts contains arginine and amino acids which is helpful in the treatment of male pattern baldness and also encourage the growth of healthy hair.
If there is a deficiency in vitamin E in the body it leads to major hair and other health problems, but with the consumption of peanuts this becomes a thing of the past as the rich vitamin E contents in peanuts ensures that the hair root received a rich supply of hair healthy vitamins to keep them strong and healthy.
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